SAN FRANCISCO—At an investors' meeting on Tuesday, Gap Inc. management outlined strategies to bolster both shoppers' experience and the company's profitability. The scheduled meeting followed Monday's announcement that the company would close about 175 Gap stores in North America over the next few years, mainly over the next fiscal year.

The closings, which also will include a limited number of European stores, will represent about 25% of the Gap brand's current North American footprint of 675 Gap stores. Additionally, the company plans to eliminate 250 jobs at its San Francisco corporate headquarters. Gap Outlet and Gap Factory stores will not be affected, and Monday's announcement did not cite any closings among the company's other retail brands.

One brand which is not likely to see any closings in the foreseeable future is Old Navy, which posted year-over-year gains in same-store sales when Gap Inc. announced its May results earlier this month. That's in contrast to the Gap and Banana Republic brands, and in fact the company is using Old Navy as a model of how to grow top-line sales.

“Our management team is aligned and focused on the key priorities that will drive profitable growth for the company,” says Art Peck, Gap Inc.'s CEO, who took the reins in February. “Building upon the strength of Old Navy, each brand within our portfolio is focused on clear, near-team priorities and a strategy to capitalize on long-term opportunities.”

Among other initiatives, Gap Inc. says it plans to leverage its product operating model to more consistently deliver on-trend product collections across its portfolio of brands. To that end, the brands will take their cue from Old Navy's success in growing top-line sales by nearly $1 billion over the past three fiscal years.